Homeless woman sent to prison for stealing purse from elderly victim

Syracuse, NY - A homeless woman was sentenced today to the maximum penalty of two to four years in prison for stealing a purse from an elderly woman outside a downtown medical office in October.

Helen Travet also received some advice from County Judge William Walsh: Don't wear a shocking pink outfit and pink sneakers when you commit such crimes since those clothes are easy to identify.

That's exactly what happened with Travet. She was caught in her pink outfit several blocks from downtown shortly after the purse-snatch incident.

A County Court jury recently convicted Travet, 43, of two counts of fourth-degree grand larceny and one count of petit larceny for the incident that occurred outside the medical offices in the 500 block of Harrison Street Oct. 7.

Assistant District Attorney Kerry Buske said the 81-year-old woman was waiting for a ride outside the building when Travet suddenly jumped out from between two parked cars and grabbed the victim's purse off the victim's walker.

The victim borrowed a cell phone from a nearby parking lot attendant and provided a detailed description of the thief to the 911 Center, Buske said. Travet, wearing the pink outfit described by the victim, was caught a short time later at a South Side convenience market, the prosecutor said.

In rejecting defense lawyer Stephen Lance Cimino's request to set aside the conviction today, Walsh said the amount of money police found in Travet's possession was "almost to the penny" the amount stolen from the victim. The only difference was the cost of a soda and bag of chips Travet bought before being captured, the judge noted.

Buske said the victim was not physically hurt in the incident. But the woman is now afraid to drive or go out on her own as a result of the incident, the prosecutor said.

Buske also noted the woman had to go through the trouble of replacing car and house keys, credit cards and identification since her purse and contents beside the money were never found. The contents also included some personal pictures, including one of the only pictures the victim had of her father, the prosecutor told Walsh.

Walsh warned Travet that she could face being sentenced to life in prison as a persistent felony offender if she gets in trouble again in the future. Noting he thought that was very likely, Walsh recommended Travet wear a camouflage outfit instead of shocking pink the next time.